Red Moon Drum Birthing Retreat
a unique womens retreat to birth a womb honouring medicine drum
Birthing your Red Moon Medicine Drum
THIS UNIQUE RETREAT IS NOW BOOKING FOR 2025
We are all born with our own personal drum – our own heartbeat.
We hear the heartbeat of our mother in her womb, as eggs we vibrated to the heart beat of our grandmother as our mother grew in her womb and the drum’s beat is the heartbeat of the Great Mother held in our hands.
Birthing a drum is a magical artistic process of co-creation with sacred hide, wood and spirit.
Over three days and nights, working together in small groups that are limited to a maximum of 10 participants – now just two places remain available – you will birth your red moon womb medicine drum, this will be a unique and special drum, a healing tool – not so much a drum to be played long and loud (although occasionally they do call for this) generally they are a drum to work with, to journey with; to be the voice and symbol of your secret feminine, and a vessel for your power and a connection to your etheric womb-space.
You will be following in the footsteps of other groups of women who have been creating these drums with me for over ten years, journeying deep into yourself to explore the beat of the heart that is bound to your personal womb medicine (whether you have a physical womb or not); and to unearth your gifts that you bring to the world at this time and in this place.
We will be staying at the lovley rural escape of Barmolloch Cottages close to the sacred valley site of Kilmartin Glen in Argyll.
Our venue includes a converted barn that we will use as the space for our ceremonial and crafting work, a fire pit area, cosy, simple cottage accomodations which sleep six people in shared twin rooms with a bathroom and kitchen; and an on site wild food cafe providing our evening meals for us from seasonal food grown on the land.
Simple self service breakfast and lunch is also included.
After you have arrived and settled in on Friday we will start our weekend with an early supper.
We will then move into sacred space, gathering together in circle and you will take your first steps on the red moon drum road as we begin with a ceremony of prayer and a blessing for the animal which has gifted its skin for your drum. You will choose the frame and the skin which calls to you and you will be taken on a guided journey to meet your creative ally.
This weekend we will be birthing naturally dyed Reindeer hide drums on Ash or Willow Wood frames in a choice of either 10″ or 12″ sizes.
You will sleep overnight with the parts of your drum that you will bring together – dreaming into your personal journey of creation that lies ahead.
The following morning we will take the hides to the river to bless them in the cold northern waters before leaving them to rest in individual containers softening for the labour ahead.
You will have the opportunity to add your own herbs and crystals to the soaking waters if you wish.
As the skins soak you will begin your work, in ceremonial space and with clear intention as you sand, prepare and personalise the bones of your drum – the wooden frames – to your individual design before coating them in a protective layer of beeswax.
As we move through the afternoon we will be working together in small groups of sister doulas – to stretch the skin of your drum over its bones. Pinning them with care and even tension to create your unique womb medicine drums.
As evening comes we will journey, share stories and spend time together in circle before enjoying some time in the hot tub under the stars.
On the Sunday morning we will journey out to make a pilgrimage to the local ancient site of Kilmartin Glen a truly special place to walk the land.
Here we will visit the standing stones and sacred cairns and we will drum and give thanks to the ancestors and the spirits of this place.
You will have some personal time here to be with this place of power and history – to vision how you and your red moon medicine drum might work together.
Although often played with the hands and fingers we will also craft song callers for our drums, from softest felt and sheep’s wool; sanding and polishing their wooden Willow Wood handles.
You will also begin crafting the totems and embellishments with which you wish to adorn your drum, sharing the totem gifts that you have brought with your drum sisters, creating the herd that is unique to your weekend together.
You will continue throughout the rest of the day and the following morning as you creating and adding totems and making any finishing touches to your song callers and the medicine pouches for your drums, before we gather around the ceremonial fire (weather permitting) for a special drum blessing and ceremony.
A final shamanic journey beneath the vibrations of the Grandmother drum will guide you into the belly of your drum to meet its Spirit.
Our weekend together completes as we finally close our circle in deep gratitude for this experience.
Then as you leave these lands to return to your homes the waiting begins, for the drums start their gentle and steady process of drying over the next five days until you hear their voices for the first time.
Throughout history the heartbeat of the drum has been used in personal and healing ceremonies, for journey work and celebrations. The sound of the drum reconnects us to the heartbeat of our Earth Mother and to our oneness with all.
The tradition of drum birthing has been handed down person to person since ancient times and I as your drum doula have trained and worked for over 20 years to learn the skills required to support you through this process.
You will be birthing a personal ceremonial tool crafted with carefully and ethically sourced materials.
This unique style of Red Moon Medicine Drum you are birthing was given to me in a vision on Exmoor over a decade ago, and a small herd of these drums, carried by women who are your drum sisters, is spreading out slowly across the lands.
Every drum has its own energy and voice, the drum is a powerful tool with which we can work to honour spirit, for healing, or for clearing and generating energy.
Your Red Moon Medicine Drum will become a powerful healing ally, it will take you the liminal edges and the places between worlds, on journeys into new dimensions and into the great womb of the cosmos.
This drum will help you to channel your inner etheric womb wisdom, assisting you in riding the tides of life with grace and ease.
Your Red Moon Medicine Drum touches into the ancient memories carried inside each and every one of us, memories of something very deep and very old; of a time when the women were drummers.
Making a drum is like pulling your heart together and giving birth to a new part of yourself
– Judith Thompson Master Drum Maker
book your place on this unique three day drum birthing retreat
In 2025 the retreat will take place – in the wonderful energies of Mabon (the autumn Equinox) from the 19th – 22nd September 2025 – TWO PLACES REMAIN
included in the cost:-
- three nights and three days in sacred retreat space with a small group birthing your red moon medicine drum
- all the materials and use of the tools needed to birth your drum and create a song caller and simple medicine pouch and some drum totem decorations (you will also be asked to bring totems of your own including one to share with each of your drum sisters)
- accommodation for three nights in shared twin rooms in cosy, simple three bedroom cottages which include a bathroom and a kitchen with kettle, microwave, fridge, cooker and utensils
- Simple self service breakfast (porridge, cereal, fruit and toast) and vegetarian soup lunches on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday
- two course vegetarian evening meals on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (optional for an additional charge on Monday)
- snacks, herbals teas and spring water for the duration of the retreat
- use of the wood fired hot tub on two evenings
- a visit to the sacred site of Kilmartin Glen
- all rituals, ceremonies and blessings
- comprehensive drum care instructions
- opportunity to view and purchase Ros’s other ceremonial tools that she has for sale at the time
- gorgeous bespoke Red Moon Drum Bags
- an additional night can be pre-booked for those wishing to extend their stay until the Tuesday late morning – the cost of this is divided by the number of people staying on and is payable in cash on arrival
your investment is £777
a deposit of £157 will secure your place the balance to be paid in full by the 15th August 2025 (this can be done in instalments if you wish – for example a deposit of £157 to book and then 12 instalments of £54*)
Please note a minimum of six people are required to run this event
Click on the button below to fill in the booking from and secure your place
FOUR PLACES REMAIN FOR 2025
*includes an administration charge
The Dates for the 2025 Red Moon Drum Birthing Retreat are
19th until 22nd September
in the energies of the New Moon at Mabon
– the Autumn Equinox –
Discover your Birth Moon Tree
find out which of the Celtic Trees was in its power phase in the moon in which you were born